Protector for gas meters



April 14, l931 D. N. LAMBERT 1,801,164

PROTECTOR FOR GAS METERS Filed April 26. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Vfl-'15. J. TIE. E .3

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ATTORNEY April 14, 1931- D. N. LAMBERT PROTECTR FOR GAS METERS Fi 1ed April 26. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TIL-tv;

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N WM ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES DAVID N. LAMBERT, OF

PATENT OFFICE BROOKLYN, NEW YORK PROTECTOR FOR GAS METERS Application led April 26,

The present invention relates to improvements in protectors for gas meters, one object of the invention being the provision of a novel construction of gas outlet casing for meters which is provided with a protecting device to prevent the stealing of gas by boring or drilling into and through the outlet opening into the valve chamber, or the introduction of a wire to litt the valve cover of the valve mechanism of the meter.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a novel construction of gas outlet casing that can be readily applied to gas meters already in use and which is simple, du-

?5 rable and inexpensive to construct and thoroughly eiiicient and practical in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combi- 29 nation and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of an outlet casing embodying the invention, part of which is in 39 section;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the inner face thereof; l

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2, said view also showing a portion of a gas meter;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the inner side of the outlet casing, the protective plate being removed;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5 49 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the protecting plate'from the inner side thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 7 designates a gas meter, which is indicative of 5 any type to which the present device is applicable. The gas outlet opening 8 as usual, is in the wall 7 of the meter below the valve compartment 9 and in the'wall 7 of the meter.

The outlet casing 10 of the present invention comprisesl a front wall and side walls.

tends from a point below the lower end of the 1929. Serial No. 358,401.

The back of said casing is open and surrounded by a flange to lie against the side of a gas meter 7 with its lower portion 13 opposite the outlet opening 8 of such meter. Ears 12 at the lower portions of said flange 55 and ears 12a at the upper portions of same are apertured to receive bolts or studs for securing the casing to a meter.

The casing 10 is flared at each side between its lower and upper portions 13 and 17 to 60 form a chamber 15 and has a nipple 11 at its upper end for connection to a gas outlet pipe.

W'ings 14 extend upwardly from the lower portion of the casing into the chamber 15 between the front wall and the rear of the casing, and similar wings 17 depend from the upper part of the casing into the chamber 15. As shown, the wings 14 and 17 form,

respectively, straight upward continuations of the lower portions of the side walls of the casing and straight downward continuations ofthe upper portions of the side walls of the casing. 4

A lip 16, of which the purpose will appear later, projects from the inner side of the front Wall of the casing.

A pair of recesses 18 and 18 are formed in the flange which surrounds the open back of the casing 10.v Each of these recesses exnipple 11 to a point a short distance below the lower end of one of the wings 14.

A plate'19 of tempered steel or other material capable of resisting the boring action oi a drill or similar boring tool and shaped complementally to the recesses 18 and 18 and of substantially the same thickness as the depth of the latter, is fitted in said recesses with its lower end 2() seated in the lower ends of said recesses. 9

The upper portion 21 of the plate 19 extends above the chamber 15 and has a semicircular tongue 22 extending rearwardly from its upper edge at approximately a right angle to its rear face. This tongue 22 is of greater radius than that of the nipple Y 11V and underlies the portion 23 of the nipple 11 which projects beyond the open back of the casing 10.

One leg 25 of an angle plate of a length m0 greater than the internal diameter of the casing 10 above and'below the chamber 15 but less than the width of the chamber 15, is secured to the front face of the plate 19, as by rivets 24, and the other member 26 of said angle plate extends toward the front of the casing and rests on the lip 16 of the latter. The ends 27 ofthe member 26 are turned upwardly.

The casing 10 and plate 19 are secured to the wall 7 of a meter 7 withthe lower portion 13 of the casing opposite thegas outlet 8 of the meter, the semi-circular tongue 22 of the plate 19 resting upon the top of the meter,

v and the portion of the lower end of the nipple ,1,1 which projects beyond the rear face of the casing' 10 extendingover said tongue.

.Gas may freely pass from the outlet 8 of the meter, between the ends o-f the wings lland the ends o f the member 26 of the angle plate and between the latter and the ends of the wings I17. Ifan attemptbe made to steal gas by boring through the front wall of the casing 1O'and the kwall 7 of the meter into the valve compartment 9 of the meter, the passage of the drill into said compartment will be prevented by the plate 19. If, on the other hand, an attempt be madeto steal gas by introducing a wire or other instrument through the nipple 411 and outlet 8 of the meter to tamper with the valve mechanism` ,0f the meter, the endof such wire or instrument will come into contact with the member 26,91 the angle plate and, sliding lengthwise of such member in one direction or the other,

will encounter lone or the other of the uptu-rned lends 27 of said member and thus: be deiiected. If by any possibility the end of the wire or other instrument should get past either end of the member 26 of the angle plate it will encounteroneof the wings 14 `and consequently cannot passv into the lower portion 13 of the casi-ng and thence into the V.Q utlet 8 ofthe meter.

Since one longitudinal edge. of the member of the angle plate is supported by the plate 19: and the. other longitudinal edge of said member is supported by thelip 16 of the front wall of thecasing, it will be impossible to bend the member 26 downwardly by applying pressure to same -by meansof an implement introduced .through the nipple 11 and-thus obtain direct access to the lower part :1,3 of the casing and the outlet 8'of the meter. .Y

I claim.: Y y

1. A protector for gas meters, including a Ghlmberfforming. casing open on one side and having an intermediate enlarged portion, the edges of pertions of the walls defining the opening being recessed,L and a lprotecting platey cenformng to the Shape' of the recessed edges 0f the easing .andiittngnsaid recesses to provide a closure for the opening atthat point Y 2. A protector for gas meters according to claim 1, in which a barrier is carried by the plate and projects into the chamber transversely thereof. I

3. A protector for gas meters according to claim 1, in which the plate is provided with a lipr at one end and a projecting shelf inter mediate its ends, the shelf projecting into the chamber to form a transverse barrier and the lip andshelf projecting from opposite sides of the plate.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a casing' open at itsl rear and adapted for attachment to a gas meter with its open back overv the outlet of such meter,

said casing having an outlet at its upperportion, a meter-protecting plate within the open back of and marginally surrounded by the casing with its rear face Hush with the vback of said casino' to bear against the wall of a meter above the outlet of the latter, and a barrier in the casing between and supported by the plate and front wall ofthe casing to prevent access through the outlet of the casing to the outlet of the meter.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a casing openv at its rearv and adapted for 'attachmentto a gas meter with the llower portion of its open back over the outlet of such meter, said casing having an outlet at its upper portion andan enlarged portion between its ends, a meter-protecting plate within the open back ofthe casing and marginally surroundedl by the casing, theI front wall of said casing having a lip eX- tending from its rear side into said enlarged portion, `and a barrier carried by and extending from the front side of said plate into said enlargement and having its `forward edge supported by said lip.

6. .A device according to claim 4: wherein the barrier has a :lip extending upwardly from each of its ends.

7. A device of the character described, comprising a casing having afront wall and side walls and open at its back, said casing being closed at its lower end and having an outlet at its upper portion, said casing being laterally enlarged between its ends, a plate of drill-resisting material seated in and closing' the rear of said enlarged portion, a barrier carried by and extending forwardly from said plate across said enlargedportion to the front wall of the casing, and wings eX- tending' into said enlarged portion from the side walls of said casing above and below said enlarged portion with their free ends spaced from said barrier.A

8. A device according to claim 7 wherein the ends of the barrier are turned upwardly.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set lmy hand. Y f DAVID N. liAlVlBll.Rilll 

